Electrician's licence - Completion of apprenticeship - Application

Fact sheet:

Obtaining an Electrician’s Licence on completion of an apprenticeship

This fact sheet outlines what you need to do to obtain an electrician’s licence in Western Australia on successful completion of an approved apprenticeship.

The Regulations

In Western Australia, the Electricity (Licensing) Regulations 1991 provide that electrical work may only be carried out by persons with the appropriate electrical licence, as issued by the Electrical Licensing Board of Western Australia.
 

When do I require a licence?

An electrician’s training licence is valid for the term of an apprenticeship and continues to have effect until:

• an electrician’s licence has been granted, or
• for a period of three months from the time the apprenticeship has completed, whichever comes first.

It is therefore necessary to make application to obtain an electrician’s licence and provide all the required information to the Licensing Office as soon as possible, to ensure you are suitably licensed to carry out electrical work.
 

Do I qualify for a licence?

To satisfy the Electrical Licensing Board that you have completed an approved apprenticeship and that you are competent to be licensed as an electrician, you are required to provide the following information to the Licensing Office:

1. proof of identification;
2. payment of the current appropriate application and registration fees;
3. trade certificate issued by the Department of Training and Workforce Development;
4. a copy of your Certificate III in Electrotechnology Electrician or Certificate III in Engineering – Electrical/Electronic Trade issued by your registered training organisation (RTO);

OR

A letter of confirmation from your RTO confirming that you have met all the requirements and will be issued one of the above mentioned certificates;

5. The final academic statement listing all completed modules issued by the RTO;

OR

A letter from your RTO stating that you have completed successfully the capstone assessment;

6. Also refer to the fact sheet on Certificate III in Engineering - Electrical/Electronic Trade Qualification for Licensing for an electrician’s licence;
7. If it is more than six months since you completed your apprenticeship, a written explanation of the reasons for the delay in this application including details of any electrical work you performed in this period.

Fact sheet:

Certificate III in Engineering

Following a review of the effectiveness of the training packages offered to electrical apprentices, electrical safety regulators, through the Electrical Regulatory Authorities Council (ERAC), agreed that the Certificate III in Engineering - Electrical/Electronic Trade qualification does not adequately ensure training delivery or assessment of the competence necessary for the issue of an electrician’s licence.

In May 2010, all electrical safety regulators jointly agreed to cease recognition of the MEM30405 training package as a suitable qualification for an electrician's licence. This policy decision does not imply that the MEM30405 qualification will not be accepted altogether.  It means that the qualification is more suited for an 'electrical fitter'. Apprentices who enrol through this pathway will be issued with an 'electrical fitter' licence instead of an 'electrician’s licence'.

Building and Energy advised all RTOs that, as of 1 August 2011, the MEM30405 qualification will no longer be accepted for the issue of an electrician’s licence.  This decision applies to completing apprentices, who are awarded a Certificate III in Engineering - Electrical/Electronic Trade on, or after 30 September 2015.  Transitional arrangements have been put in place for any completing apprentices awarded the qualification after 1 August 2011 and prior to 30 September 2015.
 

Completed your apprenticeship before 1 August 2011? What does this mean for you?

You will be issued with an electrician's licence.
 

Completed your apprenticeship after 1 August 2011 but before 30 September 2015? What does this mean for you?

• You will be issued with an electrician's licence if you can satisfy the following requirements:

1. provide a statement from your RTO in consultation with your employer that the necessary on-the-job experience has been assessed to ensure that ERAC's 66 ‘essential capabilities’ have been met;
2. provide a statement from your RTO confirming that the capstone assessment has been achieved and has addressed ERAC's 32 critical competencies; and
3. provide a statement signed by your RTO, your employer and yourself that details the scope and type of on-the-job electrical installing work that you carried out during your apprenticeship.

If you have not had the relevant on-the-job electrical installing experience and are therefore unable to undertake the capstone assessment, you will be issued with an electrician’s licence endorsed 'Electrical Fitting Work Only.' If, in the future, you wish to convert to an electrician's licence, you may consider the following pathway:

1. apply to Building and Energy’s Licensing Office for a “permit to carry out electrical installing work under supervision”;
2. complete at least 12 months on-the-job practical experience in electrical installing work under supervision;
3. record the ‘on-the-job’ training in a training record and logbook that will be issued to you on the Licensing Office receiving your application; and
4. complete successfully an appropriate assessment of competency as determined by the Electrical Licensing Board.

Please contact the Licensing Office on (08) 6251 2000, if you require any further information or clarification on the issue.